Yahoo Finance The Latest: High-quality heart readings in new Apple Watch
Apple's new smartwatch will have the ability to take high-quality heart readings to detect irregular heart rhythms and other potential problems.
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, speaks about the Apple iPhone XS at the Steve Jobs Theater during an event to announce new Apple products Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- The Latest on Apple iPhone announcement (all times local):
12:45 p.m.
Apple's new smartwatch will have the ability to take high-quality heart readings to detect irregular heart rhythms and other potential problems.
Ben Wood of CCS Insight says getting U.S. regulatory clearance for that is a milestone that underscores the company's leadership in health and fitness. Typically, smartwatches are marketed as consumer devices, not medical ones needing clearance.
Apple says its Apple Watch is the first over-the-counter product to take readings through electrocardiography, or EKG.
During Apple's unveiling, American Health Association President Ivor Benjamin said capturing such data will help prevent stroke, heart failure and other problems.
Apple says the heart data can be shared with doctors, though it's not yet clear how ready doctors are to getting all that.
The new watch can also detect falls and contact emergency officials.
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11:50 a.m.
Apple's newest iPhone will again test the limits of how much people are willing to pay for the latest technology.
The iPhone XS Max will sell for about $1,100, or $100 more than last year's iPhone X.
The iPhone X didn't sell as well as analysts anticipated, but fared well enough to help Apple boost the average iPhone selling price by nearly 20 percent.
The iPhone XS, an update to last year's model, will stay at $1,000. To reach customers not willing to pay that much, Apple will have the iPhone XR. It will use cheaper materials and sell for about $750.
The new XS models come out Sept. 21, while the XR is out Oct. 26. Older models get price cuts.
Apple says a free update to its iOS operating system will come next Tuesday, followed a week later with a Mac software update.
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10:55 a.m.
Apple is betting that an iPhone with its largest screen yet will lead to bigger profits, too.
As with last year's iPhone X, this new phone would have a screen that runs from edge to edge, an effort to maximize the display without making the phone too awkward to hold. The new phone is about the size of the existing iPhone 8 Plus, but with more screen.
The iPhone XS Max builds upon the success of the iPhone X, which got rid of the home button to make room for more screen.
Apple didn't immediately say how much the Max will cost, but it's expected to top the iPhone X's $1,000 starting price.
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12:05 a.m.
Apple is expected to showcase three new iPhones on Wednesday, including its biggest and most expensive model yet, as the company seeks to widen the product's appeal amid slowing sales growth.
Most of the buzz is swirling around a rumored iPhone that is supposed to boast a 6.5-inch screen, up from 5.8 inches on the existing iPhone X.
If the speculation pans out, the even-bigger iPhone would represent Apple's attempt to feed consumers' appetite for increasingly bigger screens as they rely on smartphones to watch and record video, as well as take photos wherever they are.
Apple also is expected to release an iPhone with minor updates to last year's $1,000 model and another version made of cheaper materials.
Wednesday's event is being held at Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters.
